Nine jails in state to get sanitary napkin vending machines

Over 900 women inmates will benefit from this drive initiated by the state women’s commission.

Over 900 women inmates from nine jails in the state will benefit from the drive.

Pune: Nine jails having female inmates in the state will soon be provided vending machines for sanitary napkins at these jails. Sanitary napkins burning machines to dispose of the napkins will also be set up at these jails. The Maharashtra State Commission for Women is going to provide the facility to jails under its drive to ensure that women inmates in the state get various facilities. Over 900 women inmates from nine jails in the state will benefit from the drive.

Ms. Vijaya Rahatkar, chairman of the commission, said, “Sanitary napkin vending machines and sanitary napkin burning machines will be made available at nine jails by the commission. Use of sanitary pads makes a major difference in the health of women and that is why we took this decision.” Ms Rahatkar and a team from the commission had visited various jails and surveyed the facilities available to women inmates.

She further said, “Following the death of Manjula Shetye, an inmate in Byculla jail, the commission has started a drive to look into the facilities provided to jail inmates. We are also looking into the quality of food, health facilities among other services given to women inmates.

She added, “Initially we will make available 50 pads in these machines. But the jail administration will need to later get a contractor for the sanitary pads. They should also take care of security and maintenance of machines. The administration should also take a decision on whether they will sell the pads at low rates or give them away free of cost.”

The machines will be set up at the central jails in Yerwada (233 women inmates), Kolhapur (65), Thane (104), Aurangabad (67), Nagpur (60), Amaravati (39), the Kalyan district jail (110), the Byculla women’s district jail (309) and Chandrapur district jail (36).